July Seasonal Newsletter

June is widely recognized as Pride Month, a month to recognize the hardships, progress, diversity, and history of the LGBTQI2+ community.

Pride month is a month to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, a key point in the Gay Liberation Movement. Now, the month is home to the iconic Pride Parade, an event celebrating and advocating for the legal rights, social and self acceptance, and pride of the LGBTQI2+ community. These parades have gotten incredibly popular as a social demonstration, to the point where there were 1.7 million attendees in the 2019 Pride Parade! The LGBTQI2+ community has always been a large part of our lives, with many influential people in every industry. Here are some famous influencers that have came out as queer.

1. Lil Nas X

At the height of his fame for the hit “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X came out as gay. He was initially incredibly hesitant about coming out, worrying about the impact that it would have on his career. However, after seeing the various pride parades, and the rainbow pride flags flown high and proud, he felt compelled to publicly join the movement and support those like himself. Now, he is still one of the most famous rappers and country music creators, with songs such as Industry Baby.

1. Tim Cook

Known as the CEO of Apple, Tim Cook was the first CEO of a major company to come out as gay. His sexuality had been questioned greatly even before 2014, when he came out, but he was inspired by emails from kids that had been bullied, ostracized, and/or abused because of their sexuality. He wanted to do something for those children, and by coming out he hoped to convey the message that you can be successful and gay; it doesn’t and shouldn’t matter.

Keep in mind these are only 2 celebrities/influencers of many that have come out and are still such a huge part of society. It’s amazing how people can judge others based on how they choose to identify; it’s almost like judging people based solely on their name or hobbies. However, the LGBTQI2+ community continues to leave a trail behind them, paving a path for people to walk. The respect that we all should have for those who come out and the support for those who have suffered from unfair stereotypes and discriminations should be no less than what we would feel for someone who was heterosexual or cisgender; we should only care to give people a safe space so they can healthily reclaim their gender and sexuality. We are all people with feelings, goals, dreams, etc. and everyone should be treated as such.

Now on a lighter note, there are still many opportunities to get involved in your community! Some include:

• Youth Leaders of York Region Applications!! Apply here!

• EXY Society Executive Applications

Learn more about these opportunities here!

On the other hand, the work of these very organizations have been demonstrated and paid off through events such as:

• The various events hosted by WSN

• The way we celebrate Canada Day.

Learn more about these events here!

June has been a month of endings; the end of the school year, the end of spring, the end of the first half of 2022, and more. But with these closing doors more are opening, so find your open door. Get involved in your community. Attend events to help raise awareness for significant causes.

See you all in September!